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Monday, September 14, 2015

Three Bean Cassoulet

With Autumn just around the corner, you
might want to add the "Three-Bean Cassoulet" (page 257) to your
upcoming menu. Cassoulet, which traditionally combines some sort of meat and
white beans, is a classic stew from the south of France, but one that is baked in
the oven, not on top of the stove. This recipe incorporates three separate varieties
of white beans - Navy, Great Northern, and Cannellini - calling for a total of
4 ½ cups in all. Sautéed carrots, onions, and celery are mixed with the beans
and tomatoes, and generously seasoned with parsley, savory, and thyme. Everything
is transferred to a covered casserole dish and baked in the oven for about an
hour. Autumn, to me, signals the beginning of heartier, warming meals such as this kind of stew.

I took a few liberties with this recipe. I
only used one kind of bean, an heirloom variety called Orca, which I cooked
from scratch, which didn't turn out to be the best choice, but I had them to
use up, and so I did. I also used just three cups of the cooked beans, and
threw in some white and blue potato chunks to make up the difference. Instead
of using 1 cup of broth, I used ½ cup of red wine and ½ cup of broth for a
richer flavor. I also opted not to top with the breadcrumbs called for towards
the end of the baking time because the stew was so juicy (not a bad thing), it
seemed to me the crumbs would have just dissolved into the broth instead of
sitting atop the veggies.

In retrospect, and especially since I didn't
use the breadcrumbs, I think this could just as easily have worked on the stove top
in a big Dutch oven or stew pot. But however you make it, as written, or with
your own substitutions and tweaks, you just can't go wrong with a pot or a pan
of stewed beans and veggies floating in a flavorful broth.

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly"
checklist:

Do not use oil to sauté the veggies; instead, use a nonstick
skillet and/or water, broth, or sherry for the cooking liquid.